Jason Walston, Iconic Automotive’s Chief Designer, purchased this 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster reproduction as a complete (although not running) car in 2002. It was love at first sight for Jason, but the car had been sitting unused in a garage for quite some time and needed some TLC to get it running and make it the stunner it is today.
The first step Jason took was to perform a thorough tune up of the stock 1,600cc dual-port engine, including draining of all fluids and replacing the fuel pump. Soon enough the engine roared to life again. Next up was getting the brake system working again, which required only a through bleeding and adjustment. Then Jason headed out for the first test drive….which turned out to be a huge disappointment. It was at this point that Jason realized the car’s performance was just not up to snuff. The Speedster’s lackluster performance did not a match its sporting looks, its vintage four-wheel drum brake system was not getting the job done, and the suspension (which had been very lowered) seemed to be nonexistent.
It was clear to Jason that if he wanted the Speedster’s performance to match its stellar looks, then it was in need of a complete “Resto-Mod” overhaul…something that Jason specializes in! The performance and styling upgrades that Jason selected for the Speedster allowed it to retain its classic exterior looks, but also perform like a modern, “really fun to drive” sports car on the road.
The Resto-Mod package that Jason completed on the Speedster included the following:
Rear Suspension: added adjustable independent rear suspension spring plates, new bushings to the rear suspension, and re-indexed the torsion bars. This resulted in an adjustable, subtle rear suspension. Also installed a rear anti-sway bar to improve handling.
Project-in-progress with new vintage California plate
New 2,110cc long block
Front Suspension: further investigation reveled that the front had been lowered by simply installing a set of shocks much too short for the suspension. This resulted in a heavily pre-loaded suspension and an extremely rough ride. To remedy this, Jason added adjustable coil over shocks to provide an adjustable and correct ride height. He also upgraded to a larger diameter front anti-sway bar to improve the car’s handling.
Brake System: upgraded the old four-wheel drum brake system to four-wheel disk brakes with an upgraded master cylinder to match. The stopping power is now amazing!
Engine: now that the chassis and brake system were equipped to handle more power, Jason upgraded the engine to a 2,110cc all-aluminum monster, topped with a genuine Porsche 911 cooling fan and built transaxel to match.
New engine with original Porsche 911 cooling fan and dual two-barrel carburetors
New engine with ceramic-coated heater boxes and high tuck exhaust system
New engine installed
Project-in-progress with correct molding and badges installed
Special Details:
Added complete and correct 356 Porsche emblems and scripts inside and out.
Added Chrome Speedster headlight grills.
Added European bumper overriders.
Added vintage '56 California license plates.
Added vintage chrome fog lights.
Installed a beautiful vintage banjo steering wheel with St. Christopher horn button.
Dad re-living his youth, only better!
Banjo steering wheel with St. Christopher horn button
This 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster reproduction is now absolutely thrilling to drive; with ample power, excellent handling, and superior braking, all wrapped up in a true icon of a vintage sports car.
The perfect southern California cruiser
Sitting pretty with a vintage VW Double Cab Transporter
Since Jason Walston of Iconic Automotive completed the Resto-Mod overhaul on the Speedster, it has won multiple awards at major car shows, including:
VW Classic (Irvine, CA): “First Place in Class”, years 2005, 2006, 2008.
VW Classic (Irvine, CA): “Second Place in Class”, year 2007.
Click on the Honors & Awards section of our site to view all of the major car show honors awarded to the classic restorations and Resto-Mod projects completed by Jason Walston of Iconic Automotive.
